Leather belting.



B. BLOSSFELD. LEATHER BELTING.

APPLICATION FILED JULYB, 1912,

Paeent'edaui 21; 1914.

WITNESSES:

INVENTOR snot curios.

. EMIL BLQSSFELD, OF SAN FRANCISilO, CALIFORNIA.

LEATHER LBELTING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patentodd'uly 21, 1914.

Application filed July 3, 1812. Serial No. Z/l54l.

This invention relates to leather belts and the method of manufacturing the same.

it is the object of this invention to produce a leather belt of great strength and durability and in which the use of stitching and rivets may be dispensed with.

Another object is to produce a lea hcchelt of equal strength throughout its length and so arrange the joints 0t adjacent strip oi) leather that they will not he loosened or separated by contact with the pulleys or by air resistance. I

Another object '1. to constructs belt of a single thickness of leather by so splitting and arranging the leather strips as to form a belt of the thickness of the hide ct which the leather is formed, but of greater strength and durability than can be obtained by forming the belt of connected unsplit lengths ofleather, as now commonly employed in the manufacture of belts.

in carrying out this invention I have taken advantage of the well known fact that strips of leather cut from the hides of animals approximately parallel with the spine, as is common in leather belt construction, are of greater strength on the edge nearest the spine. leather taken from the hide in this manner,

beino of rcaterstrenth on one cd 'e than I: b t

on the other, the weaker edge has a tendency to stretch so as to cause the bolt to become uneven and irregular, with the result that its elliciency is greatly impaired. I have also taken advantage of the fact that leather possesses a grain of a fibrous nature, run-' ning parallel with the spine, by splitting the leather so as to separate it into two layers and then turning these layers in opposite direction in relation to each other and'ce menting them together so that the grain of one layer will extend in an opposite direction to the grain of the other layer.

Other features employed in the construction of my belt will be set forth in'the following specifications; reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a perspective view showing separate strips of leather as cut from a hide,

Belt formed of single strips of edge of the in readiness for being converted into a belt, and illustratingthe first step employed in my process. Fig. :2 is a similar view showing the leathc'r strips as connected together at their ends, illustrating the second step in my process. Fig. 3 is a similar view depicting the manner of splitting the leather strip, illustrated in Fig. third step in my process.. Fig. l is a perspective view of; the completed belt. Fig. 5 is a diagram showing the application of a belt constructed in accordance with this invention.

In carrying out this invention 1 take strips of eather as indicated at A. and B in the drawings, which strips are preferably out from the hide of an-animal approximately parallel with the spine, of any suithle width as is common in the manufacture or leather belts. These strips are arranged in longitudinal alinement with each other, flesh side down, with the edges of the great est strength on the same side. The strip A is then beveled at its end upon the underside, as indicated by dotted lines a. and the strip B is beveled at its end on its upper face, as indicated by the dotted line b. The two-ends of the strips A and B are then placed as illustrated in Fig. 2, and are securely cemented together by any suitable adhesive material,- and in any desired manner, forming a joint as indicated at A number of strips A and B are thus connected together to form. a continuous "strip of leather of any desired. length. lClic strip thus formed is thensplit longitudinally, as illustrated in Fig. 3, so as to separate it into two layers; the underside of the lower layer being the flesh side,. and the upper face of the upper layer being the hair "side of the hide. The upper 2, which constitutes the layer is then turned end for end so as to reverse the direction of its grain in relation pose the strong edge of the upper layer on the'oppos te side of the belt to the strong lower layer; the upper str1p is then secured to the lower strip, preferably by cementing the two strips together by a 5 suitable adhesive material; the joints 2 being staggered in relation to each other as shown in Fig. 4. It will be noted by reference to this figure, that by reversing the upper and lower layers in relation to each other, the lap of the joints 2 on the upper and lower layer will now extend in the some direction.

The strips thus formed may now be out in suitable lengths and laced. together at their ends to form a continuous belt as indicated in Fig 5.

By forming a belt in the manner described it will be of equal strength on its opposite edges so that the tendency or inclination of the belt to stretch more on one edge than on the other will be obviated. The strength of the belt throughout its length will be greatly increased by reason of the grain of the upper section of the belt extending in a direction opposite to the grain in the lower section thereof. By staggering the joints 2, the belt will not be perceptibly weakened at this point, the layer opposite the joint serves as a reiniorce. I

A particular advantage to be derived by forming the joints 2 in the manner described so that the Reps on opposite sides of the belt will extend in the some direction, lies in the fact tl1et,when the beltis runupon the puiley in the direction'of the lap, as indicated inFig. 5 in which 3 indicates a driving pulley and i a driven pulley, the frictional engagement with the pulley i will not tend to separate the laps of joints 2 on the inner side of the beltv Que of the greatest difficulties coz'nmonly met with in the ordinary leather belts is the wear upon the joints of adjacent sections; ,AiS Wear being due either to the action of he puiley tending peel or separate the or a similar action occasioned by the oelt t'raveiing with. the lap against the air. This diiii'culty is more ool'ninonly met with re the joints 2 extend continuously h the belt indicated in Fig. 2, for on that it the beit is positioned on so that the lap on thelower edge belt will run therewith, the lap on the l l l motes the belt will catch the air and in time become loosened and Worn at this point. The reverse is also true Where the belt is run so that the lap on the outside will run with the air, wherein the lap on the inner side will be run in opposition to the pulle with the consequent tendency to peel up and become loosened. By reference to Fig. 5, it will be seen that by staggering the joints 2 and forming them so that the laps on the upper and lower sides of the belt will extend in the same direction, that Where the belt is run in one direction the above difiiculties will be overcome. F

Having thus described my invention 'wha-t I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- outer edge of A leather belt comprising superposed sheets of leather, the sieets being composed of strips out parallel with the length of the hide, said strips being-split and superposed in a reversed end to end relationWi-th" the grain of one sheet extending in theopposite direction from the grain ofthe other sheet, the joints of one sheet lyinginterlnediate the joints of the other of each of the outer sheets being tapered With the inner ends of the taper in advance of the outer end of the taper so as to lie under the next preceding sheet, and the forward ends of each of the inner sheets being tapered with the end of the taper adjoining the layer above in advance or the end of the taper on the traction surface of the belt.

in testimony whereof I have hereunto set myhand in the presence of two subscribing m tnesses.

EMIL BLUSSFELD. Ni tnesses JOHN H. lithium; GENEVIEVE S. DONELIN.

sheet, the forward ends 

